1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices that are used to tether a handheld electronic device, such as a mobile phone, so that the electronic device cannot be accidentally dropped and/or lost. More particularly, the present invention relates to tethers that are used to retract handheld electronic devices to a secure location on a user""s person.
2. Prior Art Statement
Small handheld electronic devices are becoming more commonplace in society. Handheld computers, calculators, cellular phones, beepers and the like are now carried by millions of people. As handheld electronic devices become more sophisticated, they have become smaller and lighter. A consequence of this evolution is the fact that many handheld electronic devices are now so small and lightweight that they can fall from a pocket or be dropped from a belt hook without a person realizing the loss.
In the prior art, there have been attempts to prevent the loss of handheld objects using various techniques. One technique is through the use of a proximity transceiver that detects when an object is more than a predetermined distance from a user. Such systems include a base unit that is always carried by the user and a remote unit that is attached to the handheld electronic device. When the remote unit travels a certain distance from the base unit, an alarm is sounded, thereby warning a person that the handheld electronic device has been left behind. Transceiver based systems, however, are very expensive. Furthermore, they require that a user carry the base unit in addition to the handheld electronic device. As such, users must remember to charge the batteries of the base unit and must take precautions not to lose the base unit. For these reasons, transceiver based systems are not popular.
A simpler approach used to prevent the loss of handheld electronic objects is the use of a tether. With a tethered system, a belt clip is attached to a user""s belt. A tether extends from the tether that is connected to the handheld, electronic device. In this manner, the handheld electronic device cannot be accidentally dropped, lost or stolen. To prevent the tether from becoming a nuisance, tethered systems have been developed where the tether retracts into the belt clip. In this manner, the tether remains hidden until the handheld electronic device is used. Such prior art tethered systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,137 to Poulson, entitled Cellular Phone Lease.
Although retractable tethers are an effective and inexpensive way to prevent loss of a handheld electronic device, tethers do have certain disadvantages. One of those disadvantages is that the base of the retractable tether must be coupled to a person""s belt, as well as the tethered handheld electronic device. Accordingly, a person must have two different objects attached to his/her belt. One object is the electronic device itself and the other is the base for the tether. Another disadvantage associated with retractable tethers is that the tether often interferes with the ability of the handheld electronic device to be connected to a person""s belt. For example, suppose a person has a cellular phone with a belt clip on its back surface. The tether from the base must also be attached to the back surface of the cellular phone. As the cellular phone is returned to a person""s belt, the tether becomes temporarily slack and may catch on the belt clip of the phone. The tether then interferes with the ability of the cellular phone to be clipped onto a person""s belt until the tether is untangled.
A need therefore exists for an improved tether system that does not require that the base for the tether be mounted at a point different from that of the electronic device. A need also exists for an improved tether system that will minimize the chances of the tether tangling with the bound electronic device. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a device and associated method for attaching an electronic device to a tether so that it cannot be stolen or inadvertently lost. The device includes a housing. Within the housing is contained a spool and a spring for rewinding the spool. A tether extends from the spool out of the housing. The tether terminates outside of the housing with a connector element. The connector element is selectively attachable to an electronic device either with adhesives or mechanical fasteners.
As the tether is wound on the spool, the connector element is drawn toward an attachment area on the housing of the device. The connector element and the attachment area are magnetically attracted. As such, when the connector element approaches the attachment area on the housing, the connector element becomes magnetically affixed to the attachment area, thereby joining the electronic device to the housing in a fixed orientation. At any time the electronic device can be removed from attachment with the housing and used. After use, the tether will retract and again pull the electronic device to the same position on the housing.